Anna Spear was appointed chief operating officer of AACo’s pastoral activities in August.
Australian Agricultural Company (AACo) chief operating officer Anna Speer has been recognised as a trailblazer, with vast potential, in the food and agribusiness sector as the 2018 recipient of the trans-Tasman Rabobank Emerging Leader Award.
Ms Speer was presented with the award – recognising exceptional up-and-coming leadership in Australia and New Zealand’s food, beverage and agribusiness sectors – in front of around 200 industry peers at the annual Rabobank Leadership Award dinner in Sydney last night.
Presenting the award, Rabobank Australia & New Zealand Group managing director Peter Knoblanche said Ms Speer was a dynamic leader, with a strong track record at the helm of one of agriculture’s most disruptive marketplaces, AuctionsPlus, and now poised for further leadership growth and success at AACo, Australia’s largest beef producer.
“At 36 years of age, Anna has already well and truly made her mark not only in the livestock industry but the wider agribusiness sector, as an early adopter of technology,” Mr Knoblanche said. “And as one not daunted by change, but rather someone who invites and embraces it, Anna has been at the forefront of much of the innovation and transformation we have seen in the livestock supply chain.”
Backed by strong and practical knowledge of the ag industry, Mr Knoblanche said, Ms Speer’s stellar career had seen her “work her way up from a ringer in the stock camps to now overseeing 21 pastoral stations and farms, covering one per cent of Australia’s land mass.”
“All in just eight years”, he added.
“Anna’s authenticity, and belief in herself and others, has seen her build strong credibility as a leader,” he said. “And her reach and influence will only increase, as she sits in the driving seat of Australia’s oldest continuously operating company.”
Appointed chief operating officer of AACo’s pastoral activities in August this year, Ms Speer said she is “stepping into what is probably the biggest and most exciting challenge I have had to step into, in my life”.
Managing all facets of AACo’s paddock-to-plate supply chain, Ms Speer said, “the people in the stock camps enjoy having someone who was doing what they did eight years ago, it demonstrates to them that you can go anywhere with the right attitude. I also remind them that I need them as much as they need me. They are the experts on the ground and play a critical role in the long-term success of AACo.
“Change is the only constant in life, it is naturally scary but with a collaborative and brave approach to life, being a teacher and a learner, you can go anywhere,” she said.
It has been this focus on “trust, authenticity and curiosity, alongside learning to empower and build a team of passionate people” that has driven much of Ms Speer’s success.
Accepting the Rabobank Emerging Leaders award, she said, “I am humbled to receive such an accolade and it inspires me to continue to be brave and do great things in our industry. I also want to assist others in believing they too can do great things in our industry, to give them the same opportunities that I have had.
“I spend a lot of time working with people, pushing them to think about how they can evolve and stretch. A good leader must focus on upskilling and empowering their teams. Given the amount of support I have had over the years, it is critical to pay it back. I was so fortunate to do the Australian Rural Leadership Program.”
Describing the program as a “game changer”, Ms Speer said “it made me understand myself, my volcanoes, it helped me get rid of being passive-aggressive, and taught me that empathy and trust will always win people over. When you know yourself you can start to know others.”
-Rabobank
